A 440 Hz Standard

[Tim Coates]

Jim,

This discussion came up sometime ago on this list.  It helped me quite 
a bit in how to handle the National Symphony.  I have tuned for 
soloists with the NY Philharmonic also.  Both orchestras use 442.

With NY I had no choice but to put two pianos at 442 for them.  The 
technician the night before in Chicago didn't and got royally chewed 
out by Curt Masur in front of the orchestra.   By the time the National 
Symphony came there were problems with breaking strings in the treble 
of the main piano, so I put my foot down and said "this piano stays at 
440".  My technical director stood by me.  The management had to rent a 
piano for them and that was that.

Read some of the archives about this topic.

Tim Coates

On Apr 12, 2004, at 9:07 AM, James Ellis wrote:

> The National Symphony Orchestra from Washington DC is giving a concert 
> in
> Oak Ridge TN on April 23.  Their manager has informed the ORCMA 
> manager in
> Oak Ridge that the piano must be tuned to A 442, and they even sent 
> general
> instructions about how and when to do it.  I'm just wondering:  What
> orchestras are there out there that play at various different pitches 
> other
> than A=440 Hz, and what are those pitches?  If 442 is better than 440, 
> why
> then is 443 not better than 442, or 444, 445, 446, or even 447 not a 
> lot
> better than any of the former?  Once upon a time, I'm told, a yard was
> equal to the distance between the king's nose and the tip of his
> outstretched finger.  I'm glad we got beyond that.  Whatever happened 
> to
> the idea of standards, anyway?  It seems to me that some people just 
> have
> to be different.
>
> Sincerely, Jim Ellis
>
>
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Tim Coates
University of South Dakota
Universtiy of Sioux Falls